OUR OPINION: Perry earns plaudits for pushing water

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Gov. Rick Perry should be applauded for speaking in San Angelo and other Texas cities about the importance of passing Proposition 6 on the Nov. 5 ballot.

His mission was important on two levels. First, it raised public awareness about the constitutional amendment election. Turnout for those elections is usually pitifully small, and having the governor travel here to promote it can make a difference in getting people to the polls.

Second and more important, Perry made the case for approving the amendment that can begin to address critical water needs.

Proposition 6 would create the Texas State Water Implementation Fund by shifting $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to create a bank that would loan money for water projects at low interest rates. Because new projects could be funded as loans were repaid, the money could be leveraged to make some $50 billion available for reservoirs, pipelines, desalination plants and conservation projects.

The bill was the most important piece of legislation passed in this year’s session. It’s not a complete or final solution, but it’s a vital step for a growing state whose water resources already have been stretched too far.

Now it’s up to voters to sign off on the proposal so cities desperate for water can get it at an affordable cost.

Perry deserves credit for championing the legislative effort and for using his position to push it to the finish line. As he heads toward the final year of his long governorship, passage of this amendment would be at the top of his political legacy list.